Google Maps

Google Maps now lets you choose multiple modes of transit

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 28, 2014

Google has been dutifully adding new features to its native Maps application for the iPhone and iPad. Just earlier this month, we saw Google Maps gain a new feature allowing users to get notified when a faster route becomes available when heading towards a destination in the navigation mode.

Today's minor update, now live in the App Store, includes the obligatory bug fixes and another new feature: an improved route planning with multiple modes of transit.

Although it seems like a minor addition, the feature is quite handy when planning your route because you are no longer limited to defining a route based on either walking, driving or biking and can instead choose multiple modes of transit...

Google Maps app updated with new ‘faster route’ feature

Cody Lee ∙ February 3, 2014

Despite being kicked off iOS in the fall of 2012, Google Maps has managed to maintain a high profile on Apple's platform. Released as a standalone app that same year, Google's Maps app offers a solid alternative to the stock application.

And it gets even better today. Google posted an updated for its iOS Maps app this morning that adds a new 'faster route' feature. Now, when you're heading towards a destination, you'll get notified when a faster route becomes available...

Google Maps now lets you see flight, hotel and restaurant reservations from Gmail

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2013

It's been some time since we've seen a meaningful update to Google Maps for iPhone and iPad, especially given Google Maps is probably the Internet giant's most popular product, after Search.

As if reading our mind, just an hour ago the firm has quietly pushed a minor update into the App Store. The new Google Maps version 2.5 comes with a few bug fixes and brings with it a cool new feature which lets you see your reservations from Gmail on the map.

Say you made a flight, hotel or restaurant reservation. Upon receiving the confirmation email in Gmail, Google can now take this information (they are already doing this for Google Now cards, by the way), extract the address and show you precise locations for these items within the Google Maps iOS app.

It's a minor, albeit welcome, enhancement that will up competition a notch for Apple’s own iOS Maps app. I love how little things like this make Google Maps more integrated with other Google apps. We've seen Google do this frequently and my guess is they'll continue to leverage their premium iOS apps to build a platform on top of iOS, so to speak...

Google has lost significant mobile maps traffic to Apple since last year

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 26, 2018

Despite all of the user complaints and negative PR Apple encountered when it replaced Google Maps with its own in-house software in iOS 6 last year, the app has turned out to be quite a hit with US iPhone and iPad users.

According to research data from comScore, more than 35 million US iPhone owners used Apple's Maps app in September 2013. That's significantly more than the 6 million or so that used Google's standalone iOS Maps app...

Google Maps iOS app gets route and traffic overview, faster access to navigation

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 15, 2013

After adding Waze incident reports to the mobile Google Maps app on the iPhone and iPad, the search Goliath today issued a minor update adding a few new features which expand on the application's capabilities. In addition to some housekeeping and a pair of new Middle East languages, Google Maps has brought out improvements to navigation that will help plan your next trip or make real-time decisions based on traffic conditions, especially when you’re driving...

Google Maps app now includes Waze incident reports

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2013

Putting its June acquisition of the popular social mapping and location startup Waze to good use, the Internet giant Google today announced that crowd-sourced incident reports from Wazers will be soon available through the Google Maps mobile apps for iOS and Android.

This means when Wazers report accidents, construction, road closures and more on Waze, their updates will also appear in real-time on the Google Maps mobile apps in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Switzerland, UK and the US...

Google starts injecting ‘relevant ads’ in Google Maps app search results

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 8, 2013

In another showing of the key differences between Google and Apple, the Internet giant on Thursday announced that relevant advertising will now start appearing in the native Google Maps app for iOS and Android devices.

Relevant advertising will appear at the bottom of the screen after you perform a search, Google said, adding that ads may include a title, ad text and a link to get directions.

Great, Google, just great! You can go ahead and sell me at a premium to advertisers all you want, but I hate ads and am switching over to Apple Maps as we speak...

Google+ Local app shutting down next month following Google Maps integration

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Google+ Local for iOS, the reincarnation of Google Places, will be pulled from the App Store on August 7th, according to an email from the Mountain View company. The move comes just over one year after the app first launched for iPhones and iPads.

For those who aren't familiar with the software, it allows users to voice search for nearby restaurants and businesses, as well as read and post reviews. But now that it's been fully integrated into Google Maps, Google says the standalone app needs to go...

Google’s new Maps SDK brings Street View and Indoor Maps to iOS apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 31, 2023

Google yesterday pushed a major 2.0 update to its native Maps iOS app.

The software has brought native iPad support, offline maps, a much cleaner interface, improved navigation, indoor maps of building floors and other enhancements.

By the way, today's Chrome iOS update lets you open map links in the Google Maps app instead of the browser.

To go along with the new Maps app, Google yesterday issued a version 1.4 of its Google Maps SDK for iOS. The new frameworks make it easy for Apple's registered iOS developers to write apps that incorporate such new features as Street View, Indoor Maps, and a new look and feel...

Google Maps 2.0 is out with enhanced navigation and iPad support

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

Good news iOS users! The big Google Maps update that hit the Android Play Store last week is now rolling out to Apple's mobile platform. The update, which brings the app to version 2.0, contains a number of new features including iPad support and indoor maps.

Although Apple's Maps application has significantly improved in recent months, many folks still prefer to use Google's offering. And since it launched its standalone Maps app on iOS last December, users have been clamoring for an iPad version. Well, here it is...

Google shows off new Google Maps features, coming soon to iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 10, 2013

As announced on Google's official Lat Long blog yesterday, the company has begun rolling out a major update to Google Maps that was first showcased at Google I/O 2013 in May. The company has issued a promotional clip to detail some of the new features, now available to Android 4.0.3+ users as a free download on the Play store. Although the new build hasn't hit the App Store yet, Google said it will be soon available for iOS 6+ devices...

Skyhook says Google bad-mouthed its Wi-Fi location tech to Apple

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 3, 2013

It's nearly unthinkable: a technology firm bad-talking a rival to a prospective customer. That's the heart of the latest claim by a location services company suing Internet giant Google for alleged patent infringement.

Skyhook Wireless is asking a court to compel Google to turn over documents showing co-founder Sergey Brin spoke badly of SkyHook's GPS location technology. As part of a recent court filing, Skyhook charges Brin told Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that the iPhone maker could do better if it went with Google...